asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimates he has made of the financial benefits expected to accrue to Northern Ireland from the European social funds, the proposed regional development fund and the agricultural support arrangements.

The EEC has provisionally agreed to allocate almost £4 million from the Social Fund in respect of projects in Northern Ireland in 1973; an application has been submitted for further assistance from the fund in 1974. At this stage it is not possible to forecast what financial benefits might flow to Northern Ireland from a regional development fund or to estimate the Northern Ireland share of EEC financial support to United Kingdom agriculture.